


Embrace the Void : Kingdom

by Eva_Hoshizora



Series: Embrace the Void (AU) [2]
Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Embrace the Void Ending (Hollow Knight), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Other, Post-Embrace the Void Ending (Hollow Knight)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:02:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26270842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eva_Hoshizora/pseuds/Eva_Hoshizora
Summary: Continuation of Embrace the Void.The Kingdom was rebuilt, but the trials the Knight will face weren't over just yet.
Relationships: Grimm/The Knight (Hollow Knight), Grimmchild & The Knight (Hollow Knight), Hornet & The Knight (Hollow Knight), The Hollow Knight | Pure Vessel & The Knight
Series: Embrace the Void (AU) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1451713
Comments: 27
Kudos: 81





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So hi!  
> Although I had updated Embrace the Void recently, I sadly don't use Twitter anymore for personal reasons.  
> All of Hollow Knight content will be posted on the blog instead!  
> https://ev-story.tumblr.com/
> 
> Both me and Aya are the ones working in this version of Embrace the Void, as we parted ways with Mid. You can still find her on DA, Tumblr, Twitter, etc, like normal.
> 
> If you need to contact me, please use Tumblr or contact me on Discord. Mommy#6815
> 
> Also, I'm terrible at writing prologue for continuations. I feel like my English got better this last year as I kept writing and learning, but I still have a long way to go.  
> The Prologue is up just to let you guys know that I officially started working on the story and I finished mapping out my ideas.
> 
> Also, also, if you feel like getting art from us:  
> My comms - https://forms.gle/Xe98D3hBFAVXhGqP6  
> Aya's comms - https://twitter.com/Ayase_Kinjou/status/1301149619078922240  
> We both do draw Hollow Knight content.  
> You can also support me with Ko-Fi!  
> https://ko-fi.com/evahoshizora

If you flip a coin, there are only two answers as long as you don’t count the third rare chance. Shade understood that the world wasn’t as binary as it looked as he looked at the Kingdom built years ago.

He was alone. He was able to give the Void that had will, shape. But that weakened him, and due to the fear that started to rise in his chest, he decided to return to where he belongs. Far away from the Kingdom of Hallownest.

The Shade Lord, the most terrifying creature in their world, decided to leave once they felt they weren’t needed anymore. And the world took it’s course as they were away, many wishing for the return of the Lord.

He Embraced the Void.

But his existence was still unwelcomed to the world.


	2. Chapter 1 (Return)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will he ever know peace?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow our Tumblr for updates!  
> https://ev-story.tumblr.com/
> 
> My shoulder is still recovering, so I sadly don't have any art for this chapter for you.  
> Sorry that the chapters are a little small, if you saw my previous stories and some of the more "recent" ones, I tend to write a lot to not just leave on a cliffhanger.  
> However, Kingdom will be a continuous story rather than small scenarios like the original one was.
> 
> When referring to Shade, whenever I say "They", I'm referring to Lord of Shades as a collective. When I say "he/him", it's talking about Shade as an individual.

Shade woke up a bit confused, Grimmchild - his little Rose - was sleeping beside him. Grimm nowhere to be seen.

He had a weird dream, a dream where he decided to leave rather than stay. He wondered, was it the correct choice to stay after all? His musings didn’t go for long as Grimm returned and noticed him awake.

“Good morning my dear. I was about to wake you up.” Grimm said with his typical tone. “Your siblings are waiting for you, Hallownest King would like to go over the new changes for the Vessels living arrangements as they grow older.” Shade slowly blinked as he finally got up, he still didn’t like how everyone would call his siblings ‘vessels’, but sadly, that’s what they all are, isn’t it?

_ “I wish we could call them something else.”  _ Shade grumbled in his mind, Grimm shook his head.

“Then do, at the end of the day, you are the one that decides this.” Grimm pointed out and Shade just made a sighing motion, he knows that, but it’s still a lot of work that he’s not used to doing.

Would he ever get used to it though? He misses the simplicity of before he became the Shade Lord. Just walking and exploring the world to his heart’s content… it was amazing. Oh how much he missed that.

Something clicked in his mind as he looked at Grimm.

_ “Is the Coliseum still open?” _ He asked and Grimm looked at him.

“It was one of the first things that Hornet had closed down, as there wasn’t anyone alive to manage it.” Grimm answered and Shade felt his mood sour even more as he dressed up.

He woke Rose and dressed her in a dark pink dress with a white bow. She could finally walk and her wings weren’t stuck to her arms anymore. Shade made a very happy noise as she twirled, showing it off to Grimm.

He planned on taking her with him, but Grimm picking her up and waving him off as a signal that Rose wasn’t allowed to join the reunion that day. Yet another thing to sour his mood as he walked out of this home.

The City of Tears used to always rain, but ever since they found out the source of the water, they patched up the problem and there was no more rain. It wasn’t a bad thing, but Shade always felt like he stepped into another world when he saw the city.

It looked nothing like in his past, it’s been years after all. The new coat of paint made the city look lively and there were plenty of insects walking around chatting happily. And at the end of the day, Shade missed the past.

So much changed, the bugs that survived started over, and the many he killed were thrown in the abyss to feed the black mass that lurks below. They fed him without knowing he was the black mass.

Wondering what would happen if they all found out what he was always made him feel upset, so he never lingered in those thoughts, until today that is.

He noticed something peculiar as he walked, a light, not in the physical plane, but on the dream realm. That made him perk in worry as he suddenly rushed to the castle.

Something was wrong, very, very wrong. And as he ran, he noticed that there were bugs dressed in white and a feeling of dread washed over him. He jumped over the bugs to avoid them when needed, and soon he heard bugs commenting that seeing Shade in such a hurry wasn’t normal.

He could deal with the rumors that he was late for a meeting, he had a habit of not showing up until the last second anyway, so it’s not like they don’t expect this from him. But…

That  _ feeling _ wasn’t good. It wasn’t good at all.

It wasn’t the right choice after all. He should have left when he had the chance.

The Void is darkness.

And darkness brings imbalance to the world.

So the world brought light.

A moth.

There was a moth in front of him, and that moth was the Radiance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger? Cliffhanger;  
> I hate cliffhangers, but I felt like the chapter should end there, so it did!  
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter and please, feedback means a lot to me.


	3. Chapter 2 (Radiance)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly had this chapter finished for days now.  
> But my will to write it kinda diddled with the lack of feedback and the fact none of my friends care.  
> Hollow Knight is kinda dead on my side of things, I love the game and it's fandom, but sadly, Kingdom might be cancelled out of the sheer fact there is no interest on it at all.  
> I could finish it in a month like I did with the original story, but... is there a reason for me to finish writing the story?  
> Embrace the Void had a satisfactory ending. Kingdom is just... an extra.  
> I'm tired.  
> Very, very tired.

Shade went to pull his nail, only to be reminded that he didn’t bring it with him, so he went to remove his mask and his elder sibling held his wrist. Hollow shook his head and then slowly let go of his wrist, the moth confused at the sudden reaction.

“Is everything alright?” It asked, it spoke? Shade gave it a distrusting look, still tense and ready to fight it.

“It is. Shade might have panicked because you look like the Radiance.” Hornet said slowly, explaining the situation. “You are a Moth as well, that might have triggered the fight or flight response.”

“I see.” The Moth looked at Shade, it’s expression being a gentle and soothing one. “Worry not, I’m nothing like the false goddess.” The Moth said and Shade still didn’t relax.

It was the same light, the same familiar glow, and she felt so dangerous and terrifying. Shade didn’t reply, he still didn’t like the Moth. Shouldn’t all of the Moths have died? He felt the dream nail in his hand and looked down at it. It still burned him, it still hurt, ever since he became the Lord of Shades, the light would hurt him.

“A Dream Nail?” The Moth asked and Shade realized that he was really holding it, he stopped and it disappeared. “I see, now I understand.” The Moth offered him tentatively. “You are the Void, aren’t you? Not just a voidling, but  _ the _ Void.”

Oh, he didn’t like that, he really didn’t like that. His will grew stronger as he wanted to kill.

Kill.

Kill.

Kill?

He shook his head and put a hand over his mask. The Void didn’t want to kill, what was this voice? He glanced at the Moth and he noticed its mouth to be vaguely smiling. Oh, so that was the game it wanted to play?

Hollow noticed as well and the older sibling went tense, seeing both her siblings tensing, Hornet realized something was wrong. Shade had such a bad reaction straight away because of the Moth.

“I don’t understand what’s happening, but let’s get along, shall we?” The Bug responsible for Hallownest pipped up and broke the tension on the room. Shade looked at him. “This is Kari, a Moth from a tribe far from the ones that used to live in Hallownest years ago. She decided to move here to try to restart the tribe from this area.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all.” The Moth said with a small bow, reminding Shade of how the Mantis Tribe act. “I hope we will get along well, Lord Shade.” She said with a soft tone, Shade tensed up.

Light and Darkness.

She was Light.

He was Darkness.

The Radiance came back in a mortal body just like he did. But rather than want to strike a fight, she wanted to start over?

_ “What is your plan Radiance?”  _ Shade asked in her mind, she felt so cold at that. She knows how strong he is, she remembers. He might be on a mortal plain, but his true self wasn’t hidden behind a dream like hers, he could go into both worlds.

_ “Not be forgotten.”  _ She replied.  _ “I don’t plan on repeating what happened in the past, you are not that fool. As long as I don’t slave bugs, you won’t kill me, correct?” _

_ “As long you are a normal bug, I shall not intervene.” _ He agreed. Both nodded and Kari smiled softly.

“I can’t wait to work with you.” She said happily and Shade couldn’t help the exasperated sigh that escaped his mask. She only giggled at that.

Shade wasn’t happy when he came home, Grimm and Rose were nowhere to be seen, and because of such, his already sour mood only got even worse. Shade screamed in anger and threw the table at the wall, he removed his mask to let himself free.

Since he lived near the abyss, no one would see him, so he let his anger out, a guttural roar was heard through the entirety of Hallownest and the siblings all went into alertness. What could have made the Lord of Shades lose their mind like that? But as soon it came, the anger left.

Shade - still in his void form - sat down, void sliding down his face. Tears. He was so stressed that he broke down.

Was everything in vain? Did he suffer only to fail? Would Radiance make him disappear like she did to the wyrm?

She didn’t know yet that they were weakened due to their division. And they didn’t plan on letting her realize that Shade was only a piece of void, the last of it as they gave hundreds of siblings form.

Although Shade himself had no idea how big Void is. He was, after all, only a mind that controls the Voidheart;

He felt himself lose strength and put his mask back on as he felt Grimm and Rose returning. He didn’t get up from his sitting spot, too tired to care. He just sat on the ground near the drop to the abyss, enjoying the moment of silence.

Rose ran to her parent. She felt that Shade wasn’t doing well and after the roar, the void in her screamed to help, and so, she pleaded to Grimm for them to return early. Although her elder father wasn’t pleased, he accepted without a fuss.

Seeing how tired Shade looked, Rose decided that talking was out of place and just ran to him, hugging his chest and encouraging him to hug back, which he did.

All of his thoughts halted as soon he felt Rose in his arms. He hugged her back and wrapped his cape around her to protect her from the cold. He knew he didn’t have to do such, she was the new Nightmare King after all, but… that just felt right and she didn’t mind it.

Grimm put a clawed hand on his shoulder before sitting down beside him. They didn’t speak, just enjoyed each other’s company.

Shade needed the silence and he appreciated that his child and friend understood it as well.


End file.
